1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and method for monitoring children using school and daycare transportation. More particularly, the system utilizes bar code and GPS technology to monitor school vehicles and children.
2. Description of the Related Art
Child safety is one of the most important issues in these modern times. In fact, administrators will say that child safety is paramount above any other factors. Parents have also provided pressure on school officials for greater safety both in the schools and when children are being transported. The related art outlines several systems that are designed for child and passenger safety.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0149490 published on Oct. 17, 2002, outlines the use of a passenger seat detection system for vehicles. The detection system will alert the driver of a vehicle if people or objects are remaining on a seat within a particular vehicle. Each seat will contain an incorporated sensor, which will detect the weight of an object or person sitting on that seat. The sensor is electronically connected to an internal electronic system that connects up to a dashboard light and horn, alerting a driver to the presence of someone or something remaining on the vehicle.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0030550 published on Feb. 13, 2003, outlines the use of a bus safety system for reminding a driver to search a bus for passengers with a receiver module incorporating a microprocessor, the receiver module programmed to control an alarm based on at least one selected time interval following activation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,423,574 issued to Forte-Pathroff on Jun. 13, 1995, outlines the use of a child loss prevention system, which includes a wrist bracelet that is given to a child and accompanying adult at the time the child is left with a childcare facility or upon entering a large public facility such as a shopping mall or amusement park. Information printed on the bracelet at that time may be in the form of a bar code or a string of alphanumeric characters, or a combination of the two. When the adult attempts to leave the facility with the child, the material printed on the bracelet of each of them is scanned, and if the information matches, the child is allowed to leave with the adult.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,525,969 issued to LaDue on Jun. 11, 1996, outlines the use of a monitoring device useful in home arrest, identification and surveillance activities, including a monitoring member communicatively linked to a remote communicator. The monitoring member may be secured to an animate or inanimate object by a strap including a plurality of charged and uncharged conductors therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,765,875 issued to Rowley on Jun. 16, 1998, outlines the use of an identification system for children traveling as a group under the guidance of a teacher. Each child carries an identification tag on a frangible length of bead chain. The tag has first identifying indicia such as an unduplicated number unique to that child and a second identifying indicia providing information relating to the group. The name of each child and of the group containing the child is written on an information sheet held by the teacher.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,107,915 issued to Reavell et al. on Aug. 22, 2000, outlines the use of a warning system for a multi-passenger vehicle such as a school bus, which prompts the driver to inspect the vehicle for passengers when shutting down the vehicle. In the preferred embodiment the system is activated when the vehicle safety flasher system is activated. Following activation, an alarm sounds when the vehicle electrical system is deactivated by shutting off the engine unless the bus driver activates an alarm delay switch and within a preset time interval activates a disarming switch located near the back of the passenger compartment.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,144,304 issued to Webb on Nov. 7, 2000, outlines the use of a parent-infant identification system that includes a matched set of three bracelets each bearing matching visual indicia and an electronically readable data button and a data button reading apparatus. Two of the three bracelets are sized to fit adult wrists and the third bracelet is sized to fit an infant wrist or ankle. The matching visual indicia include a color code and the data buttons each contain electronically readable data which allows the data buttons to be identified with the data button reader.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,502,030 issued to Hilleary on Dec. 31, 2002, outlines the use of a web-based vehicle tracking system that includes a passenger identification device that registers when a passenger boards and disembarks the vehicle. The web-based vehicle tracking system utilizes a vehicle information system that includes the passenger identification device and a base station network administrator to monitor the travel of a vehicle and the on-board status of a passenger.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,667,686 issued to Talbot on Dec. 23, 2003, outlines the use of a bus safety system for reminding a driver to search a bus for passengers with a receiver module incorporating a microprocessor, the receiver module programmed to control an alarm based on at least one selected time interval following activation. There is also a wire harness attachable between the receiver module and an electrical system of the bus and a transmitter incorporating an alarm deactivation switch to be adapted to send RF signals.
Although each of these patents and publications outline the use of novel and useful inventions, what is needed is a protection system and method for safely transporting infants and young children in a school and/or daycare center setting. Such a protection system would address a great and long-felt need in the marketplace for maximizing protection for these infants and young children.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus a method for monitoring children using school/daycare transportation solving the aforementioned problems is desired.